The asylum was founded with the aim of housing twelve Protestant and eight Roman Catholic widows in the units with an additional sum of twenty pounds per year.

Today Switzer's Asylum is nineteen units managed by the Church of Ireland in St Patrick’s Parish, Kilkenny.

[1][2] The foundation was established by Act of Parliament which identified who would be entitled to be resident in the units.

[3][4] The rule was to allow decent and respectable persons, the widows or daughters of respectable persons resident in the county or city of Kilkenny or county of Carlow for ten years or more.The building is a detached almshouse with five three-bays, two-storey high units with a single three bay two storey breakfront.

The units are set in a small cul-de-sac of private grounds with a limestone surrounding wall.